Rotary sprinkler



Dec. 26, 1933. G. D. PHILLIPS 1894314269 ROTARY SPRINKLER Filed May 26,1950 g worn! or 62076 i P/ZZZZW,

duouyarg q Patented Dec. 26, 1933 l 1,941,269 7 ROTABY'SPRINKLEB- GeorgeD. Phillips, Les Angeles, Calif; Application May 26', 1930. Serial No.455,804"

10 Claims.

This invention relates to rotary sprinklers such as are used forspraying lawns, golf courses or the like with water. Sprinkler systemsfor this purpose usually include an automatic water control valve whichis mounted to reciprocate, and is controlled in doing so eitherautomatically by the water or by a clock control mechanism.

Rotary sprinklers when employed for sprinklinglarge areas, such as largelawns or golf courses, are usually connected in gangs to a supply pipe.If all of the sprinklers were in operation at once, it would require asupply; pipe of a very large size to supply the water required andmaintain pressure sufficient to give the -jets of water the desiredrange. For this reason, such sprinklers are usually operated intermit-.tently. In this way, while one set of sprinklers may be operating undera sufficient water pressure giving them ample range another set will beat rest.

v The general object of this invention is to provide simple means forutilizing this reciprocatcating movement to effect the rotation of thesprinkler.

As usually constructed the rotary sprinkler head carries a nozzle fromwhichthe water stream is delivered in an upwardly. inclined direction soas to, give the stream considerable range as the nozzle rotates on avertical axis. With a nozzle of thisfconstruction there is a tendencyfor the water to maintain itself in a solid stream, most of the waterbeing delivered in a relatively narrow zone at a considerable distancefrom the nozzle, depending upon the range of the nozzle operatingunderthe hydrostatic head existing at the nozzle. The objection to thisis that the water is not fairly distributed over the sprayed area.One-of the .objectsof this invention is to overcome this difiiculty andto provide a rotary nozzle of simple construction which will operate todeliverrthe water in a spray which will be distributed with substantialuniformity over a considerable area;

also to provide a nozzle construction having special features operatingto transform the solid stream into a spray. I

In the construction of the apparatus, a water valve is utilized which-isnecessarily at a slight distance from the rotary nozzle andeonsequnt-1y, when this valve becomes open, a-small amount of time elapses beforethe -water. reaches the nozzle. One'of the objects of this invention isto provide means for effecting a retarding in the moment of rotation ofthe sprinklerhead.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter; I f 1 V Theinvention consists in the novel partsand combinations of parts to bedescribed hereinafter, all ofwhichcontribute to produce an efficientrotarysprinkler... I 1 .1

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the followingspecification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out ,inthe appended claims.

In the drawingq, I I 'Figure l is a vertical section through thesprinkler head and illustrating parts of'the ap paratus for rotating it.

Figure 21s a horizont of Figure- 1, looking upwardly, and -illustratingportionsof the water valve and the associated parts. 1 4

Figure 3 is a vertical section through theltip of the main nozzle andparticularly illustrating the means fortransforming the issuing streaminto a spray.

1 section on the line 2-2 Figure 4 ,is a longitudinal section through awater guide or sleeve for the nozzle, illustrating a modification of themeans for transforming theissuing stream into a spray.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan of'the water guide or liner illustrated inFigure 4.

Figure 6 is a-vertical section through thetip of an auxiliary nozzlewhich constitutes a part-of the invention. e Referring more-particularlyto the parts and especiallyto Figuresrl, and 2, 1 represents a sprinklerhead which is preferably constructed as a double nozzle having a mainnozzle 2 with atip 3 through which the spraying stream is delivered inan inclined direction; as indicated.

by the dotted lines at. j This nozzle receives its water througha-branch 5 from the lower end 6 of the nozzle which is mounted forrotation on a vertical axis aswill presently appear. The complete nozzlepreferably includes a secondary or auxiliary nozzle 7 which branches oiTfrom the base of the nozzle and extends upwardly :to. a'point .near thetipfl, at which point it is provided with a tip Shaving a laterallydisposed mouth 9 thatdelivers a spray inan inclined di rection'asindicated by the dotted lines10.' The nozzles are so related that thestream or spray 10 will spray the surface of the ground nearthe' nozzle,whilethe main nozzle B sprays the ground in a zone at a greater distancefrom the nozzle. g The tips 3 and 8 preferably project through openingsin a cover plate 11 disposed over a vertical cylindrical casing 12 thatis set just below the ground level 13, with the cover plate 11 aboutflush with the ground. This cover fits over the nozzletips andoscillateswith them.

' The nozzle is constructed so as to enable water 16 that passesupwardly through a bearing 17 in the head 15, with its upper end securedto the lower end'of the nozzle 1.

The lower end of the bushing 16 is formed with two oppositely disposedforks 18 with a socket 19 between them which receives a crosshead 20formed on the upper end of a driving stem or rock-shaft 21 that extendsupwardly into the water chamber from below. If desired, the bearing 22for this stem may be provided with a stuffing-box 23 to prevent waste ofwater.

The parts described above are located adjacent to a reciprocating partof the automatic sprinkler apparatus. See Figure 2, in which 24illustrates a Water valve or plunger that reciprocates slowly in abarrel or cylinder 25. In its movement toward the right, its head 26will uncover ports 2'7 in its wall and admit water from the water space28 into a pipe 29 that conducts the water to the water chamber 14. Thisplunger 24 is connected with suitable means for effecting the rotationof the rock-shaft or stem 21. For this purpose I prefer to employ a rack30 which is guided to slide longitudinally and with its teeth meshingwith a pinion 31 which isrigid on the lower end of the stem 21 (seeFigure 1).

I prefer to provide means for connecting the rack with the plunger whichoperates to retard the moment of rotation of the sprinkler head so as toallow time for the water to pass from the valve to the water chamber 14,fill the same, and supply water under pressure to the nozzle 1. For thispurpose I provide a lost motion connection 32 which involves the use ofa stem 33 projecting. from the plunger and provided with a longitudinalslot 34 which co-operates with a through bolt 35 carried by a connectionor fitting 36 the opposite end of which is connected to the adjacent endof the rack 30. In Figure 2 this bolt 35 is illustrated at theright-hand end of slot 34. In the operation of the apparatus, when theend face 37 of the slot 34 strikes this bolt, the rack will commence tomove and will rotate the nozzle 1. v

The nozzle tip 3 is preferably provided with means for transforming theissuing stream into a spray. For this purpose I prefer to provide thetip 3 with a liner or water guide in the form of a ferrule 38 that maybe slipped into the tip from its inner side when the same has been removed. The inner face of this ferrule is provided with irregularitiesthat baiile the water stream and cause it to issue in a spray. For thispurpose I prefer to use longitudinally disposed V-shaped'grooves 39 onthe inner face of the ferrule which may be deepest at the inner end 40of theferrule. This ferrule will be covered by a separate applicationfor patent.

These V-shaped grooves 39 are not parallel with the elements of the wallof the ferrule, but preferably are opposed to each other and convergetoward the tip (see Figure 3). words, these grooves are located outsideof any radial plane passing through the axis of the tubular guide. Ifdesired, instead of having these grooves extend the entire length of theferrule, the spray-forming means may take the form of deep notches 41formed in the inner end of the ferrule (see Figures 4 and 5) The tip 8for the secondary nozzle is a feature of my invention. It consists of atubular body 42 closed at its upper end by a head 43 in which aninclined mouth 44 is formed operating to deliver the water in anupwardly inclined stream. This mouth is not formed by a transverse slitbut In other it is a relatively narrow port milled into one side of thetip. This prevents the stream from issuing in fan shape and increasesthe range or throw of the stream. The lower end of this tip is threadedto enable it to be detachably secured in the upper end of the branch ornozzle '7.

In order to prevent leakage around the bushing 16 in its bearing 17, Iprefer to provide the lower end of the bushing with a collar 16a that ispressed upwardly by the water pressure against a narrow seat 15aprojecting down from the under side of the head 15. This seat ispreferably of V-shape cross-section so that the motion of the collarwill quickly wear it to a good seat. For this purpose the head 15 ispreferably made of relatively soft metal, such as brass.

In the operation of the apparatus it should be understood that theplunger 24 reciprocates slowly, preferably by automatic mechanism. As

it moves toward the right, as indicated in Figure 2, the head 26 willuncover the ports 27 and permit water to pass from the Water space 28 atthe left of the head into the pipe connection 29 which delivers thewater into the water chamber 14. From this pointthe water passesupwardly past the forks 18 and into the rotary nozzle 1, from which itis delivered as indicated by the lines 4 and 10.

The cross-head 20 and the forks 18 should be constructed so that theypermit free flow of the water upwardly'through the bushing 16. If it isdesired to increase the freedom of flow at this point, the forks may beprovided with openings, as indicated in Figure 1.

In the operation of the main nozzle 2, it throws a water spray coveringa zone at a considerable distance from the axis of rotation of thenozzle,

while the secondary nozzle 7 covers a zone eX- tending inwardly from theouter zone sprayed by the main nozzle and reaching to the vicinity ofthe nozzles, and this Way the nozzles co-operate todistribute the waterwith substantial uniformity over a relatively large area.

It is advantageous to have the two nozzles located with their axes inthe same plane so that the main nozzle directs its stream in a pathpassing over the stream flowing from the secondary nozzle. By doingthis, the nozzles can be used when desired to rotate through 180 withall of the zone wet by the streams lying on the same side of adiametrical line.

In practice I prefer to construct the rack and pinion so that thecomplete travel of the plunger 24 will rotate the nozzles through 180degrees or more.

It is understood that the embodiment of the invention described hereinis only one of the many embodiments this invention may take, and I donot wish to be limited in the practice of the invention, nor in theclaims, to the particular embodiment set forth. 1

What I claim is:

1. In a sprinkler, the combination of a rotary sprinkler nozzle, a valvecasing having a plunger mounted to reciprocate therein, said casinghaving ports connected with said nozzle tosupply water thereto andalternately opened and closed by reciprocation of said plunger, meansconnecting the plunger with the nozzle for rotating the same, and meansfor effecting the delayed rotation of the nozzle when said plungerstarts to move.

2. In a sprinkler, the combination of a rotary sprinkler nozzle, a valvecasing having a plunger mounted to reciprocate therein, said casinghaving ports connected with said nozzle to supply water thereto andalternately Opened and closed by the reciprocation of said plunger, andmeans connecting the plunger with the nozzle for rotating the same, saidlast named means including a lost motion connection forretarding therotation of the nozzle until the valve has passed the ports and admittedthe water from the valve to the nozzle.

g 3. In a sprinkler, the combination of a rotary sprinkler nozzle, avalve casing mounted with its axis substantially horizontal, a plungermounted to reciprocate therein, said casing having ports connected withsaid nozzle to supply water thereto and alternately opened and closed bythe reciprocation of said plunger, said nozzle having a tubular neck onits axis of rotation, a nozzle casing having a chamber independent ofthe valve casing to which the water is admitted to pass up into thenozzle, a rock shaft extending through the Water chamber and connectedwith the said neck for rotating the nozzle, and means connecting theplunger with said rock shaft for rocking the same.

4. In a sprinkler, the combination of a rotary sprinkler nozzle, a valvecasing having a plunger mounted to reciprocate therein, said casinghaving portsconnected with said nozzle to supply water thereto andalternately opened and closed by the reciprocation of said plunger, saidnozzle having a tubular neck on its axis of rotation, a nozzle casinghaving a substantially horizontal wall with a chamber below'the same towhich the water is admitted to pass up into the nozzle, a rock shaftextending up through the water chamber from below, and means connectingthe plunger with said rock shaft for rocking the same, and a bushingextending through said wall, connected above with the lower end of thetubular neck on its axis of rotation, and connected below with the rockshaft, said bushing operating to pass branch nozzle having a relativelysmall duct located under the path of the stream from the main nozzle forprojecting a relatively small stream of water in an upwardly inclineddirection, and in substantially the same direction from the axis ofrotation as the stream from the main nozzle, said main nozzle operatingto sprinkle a with respect to the horizontal line, and a secondarynozzle having means for directing a sprinkler stream in the same generaldirection from the axis of rotation of the head and at a low angle withrespect to the horizontal and located under the path of the stream fromthe main nozzle, said main nozzle having a tubular guide for the streamwith a bore having means on its inner side for affecting the waterstream so as to form r a spray delivered in a zone just beyond the rangeaxis, said nozzle having an outlet with its axis disposed at arelatively large angle to the hori-- zontal line, a secondary nozzleextending up to a point near the outlet of the main nozzle with adelivery outlet on its side remote from the main nozzle operating toproject a stream in the same general direction from the axis of rotationas the main nozzle and enabling the main nozzle and the secondary nozzleto spray the ground in two concentric zones on the same side of saidaxis of rotation, and means for rotatingv said nozzles throughout aportion of the circumference of revolution.

8. In a sprinkler, the combination of a rotary sprinkler nozzle, a valvehaving a member mounted for reciprocation, a substantially horizontalcylinder in which said member reciprocates, said cylinder having a portin its side wall connecting the cylinder with the sprinkler nozzle tosupply water thereto, said ports being alternately opened and closed byreciprocation of said valve member,

and means connected with the said-reciprocating member for rotating therotary nozzle.

sprinkler nozzle, a valve casing mounted with its axis substantiallyhorizontal, a plunger mounted to reciprocate therein, said casing havingports through the side wall thereof, said ports being alternately openedand closed by reciprocation of said plunger, means connecting said portswith said nozzle to supply water thereto, and means connecting theplunger with the nozzle for rotating the same.

10. In a sprinkler, the combination of a rotary sprinkler nozzle, avalve casing mounted with its axis substantially horizontal, a plungermounted to reciprocate in the valve casing, said casing having ports inthe side thereof uncovered by the movement of said plunger to enablesaid ports to be opened and closed alternately, and a pipe outside ofthe casing connecting said ports with said nozzle to supply waterthereto, arack com I nected with the plunger, and a pinion meshing withthe rack and connected with the nozzle for rotating the same.

GEORGE D. PHILLIPS.

